Picnic table with adjustable top



July 15, 1952 R. E. BARBIN 2,603,543

PICNIC TABLE WITH ADJUSTABLE TOP Filed May 28, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 IN VEN TOR. BY 75m WW-f" J y 1952- R. E. BARBlN PICNIC TABLE WITH ADJUSTABLETOP Filed May 28, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 :Qinlllll m n INVENTOR.

Patented July 15, 1952 opipim'e v PICNIC TABLE WITH ADJUSTABLE TOPJfRene E. 'Barbin, Beverly; Mass. v Application May 28, 1949, Serial No.95,997.

7 2 Claims.

Thisinvention comprises a new and improved picnic of lawn table havingnovel features of adjustability which render it particularly convenientand desirable for its intended purpose. It is, moreover, of suchconstruction that it may be collapsed into small compass for conveniencein transportation and may be produced at very moderate cost.

In its preferred embodiment the table of my invention comprises a shaftor stake passing through a perforated table top and having connectingelements, one hinged to the table top to permit angular adjustmentthereof and another being longitudinally adjustable on a shaft to permitheight-wise adjustment. The user may thus drive the supporting shaft orstake at any convenient angle determined by the contour or character ofthe location and angularly adjust.

the table top to horizontal position. He may also move the table top upand down and clamp it at the desired height.

Going more into detail, the picnic table of my invention in itspreferred form may employ as the connecting elements above mentioned acircular plate carried by a tubular head which is slidable upon theshaft, and this plate may be hinged at one edge to the under side of thetable top and may have at its other side an adjustable connection to anarm curved about the axis of the hinge. I thus provide connectingelements of simple construction whereby the table top may be heldsecurely at any selected angle to its supporting shaft or stake.Moreover, when the stake is set in vertical position the circular platewill serve to close the'perforation in the table top.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a. preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View of the table top and connecting elements asseen from beneath, and

Fig. 3 is a view of the table as seen from beneath with a portion of thetable top broken away.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention includes in its structure ashaft or stake which may be of wood or metal and sharpened at its lowerend so that it may be easily driven into the ground at any selectedpoint. Slidably mounted upon the shaft in is a shouldered tubular headll having at its upper end a thick knurled flange 'IZ an d having oneside a set screw l3 by which the head may be clamped in any desiredposition upon the shaft [0.

Fastened to the upper face of the flange I2 is one of the connectingelements, namely a circular plate I 4. This may be secured to the flangel2 by screws or rivets and is provided at one edge with a hinge I5 bywhich it is connected to the under side of the table top IS. The lattermay be circular in outline or any other desired shape. It is preferablyconstructed of sheet metal and formed with a corrugated flanged rimwhich not only stiifens the table top as a whole but provides it with alow circumferential retaining wall. The table top I6 is provided with acentral perforation l! which may take the form of an elongated slotproviding for the passage of the shaft with clearance through the tabletop at any convenient angle.

A curved and slotted arm [8 is secured by rivets or otherwise to theunder side of the table top and this arm extends downwardly in an aredescribed about the axis of the hinge l5. The circular plate 14 isprovided at its free edge with an ear I!) which is curved downwardly andconformed to the arm l8. It is provided with a bolt and wing nut 2|] bywhich the plate l4 and arm [8 may be clamped together in any selectedposition of angular adjustment.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that when the shaftI0 is driven into the ground at an angle, the wing nut 20 may beloosened and the table top swung about the axis of the hinge I5 intohorizontal position regardless of the angle of the shaft. It may then beclamped in horizontal position and adjusted bodily up and down upon theshaft by loosening the set screw l3. Finally, when brought to the mostconvenient position for its intended use it may be clamped at thedesired height by tightening the set screw 13. On the other hand, whenit is desired to transport the table from one place to another, theshaft [0 may be slipped out of the head II and the circular plate [4moved into substantial contact with the under face of the table top. Thetwo parts thus lie in flat condition and may be conveniently transportedwhile they occupy little space.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail anillustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. A picnic table including in its structure a shaft, a shoulderedtubular head movable upon said shaft and having a circular platefastened to its upper end, a table top having a perforationsubstantially larger than the shaft for receiving the shaft in differentangular positions, a hinged connection between one edge of the circularplate and the table top, a stationary arm secure to the table top at theother side of the circular plate and being curved on a radius about theaxis of the hinged connection, a correspondingly curved ear fastened tothe circular plate and arranged to slide in contact with said curvedarm, and means for adjustably clamping the ear to the said arm.

2. A picnic table including, in its structure a shaft, a tubular headadjustably mountedupon the shaft and having a circular plate secured toits upper end, a flanged table top having a perforation larger than theshaft for receiving the shaft in difierent angular positions, a hingedconnection between the circular plate and thetable top, a stationary armsecured to the table top and extending adjacent. to one side oftheREFERENCES omen The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Strasser g v .v Feb. 13, 1940

